Saturday, June 20, 2009

Quote of the Week: You put the Evil in Knievel lady. (Emerson Cod, Pushing Daisies)

Song of the Week: I Want to Live – Shawn Garrity and a Choir of Angels/Nurses (Rescue Me)

Big News of the Week: Big Head Sammy and the Monsters: In a the least surprising news of the week that just beat out Sun Rises in East, it was revealed that Sammy Sosa was another of the 104 names on the same list that Alex Rodriquez whose name was leaked earlier this year. I guess at this rate we will get the last name on the list by 2025.

In other morally questionable athlete news, I am glad the NBA playoffs are finally over so we stop hear the talking head talk about Kobe Bryant cementing his legacy with another title even though he cemented his legacy in Colorado in 2004. Not that he really deserved another ring because he was a goal tend and an elbow throw call away from being down 3-1.

Now if want to talk about an athlete who legitimately cemented his legacy, look to the NHL with Sidney Crosby who went into Hockey Town and won a game seven after winning a seven game duel with Alex Ovechkin in Washington.

Coalition Links of the Week:Will you watch four additional hours of The Real Housewives of New Jersey? Come on, be honest. (BuzzSugar)

"It's the end of the world, Cappie. What are you going to do?" If you missed the season finale of Greek, check out our recap. If you've never seen the show, now is a great time to get caught up. You won't be disappointed. (Give Me My Remote)

It's summer so all Vance can talk about is So You Think You Can Dance! This week, his take on the Top 18 performances. (Tapeworthy)

As we say goodbye to Pushing Daisies and prepare to say goodbye to Kings, Marisa has just one question: What the heck is wrong with you people? (TiFaux)

This week, the TV Addict crafted an Open Letter to Dawn Ostroff, CW President of Entertainment. (The TV Addict)

He's no Robert Pattinson, but Ian Somerhalder looks smokin' in The Vampire Diaries. (TV Fanatic)

Kings: So if the Prince wasn’t happy that Mr. Boston saved his like when he was captured by Gath, I can’t imagine he will be thrilled that he saved yet again this week from certain death. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Kings on iTunes.

Pushing Daisies: A strong ended considering it was extremely rushed. Really can’t complain about the open resolution of Papa Piemaker and Charles Charles thanks to the premature cancelation, but I was a little disappointed we didn’t get an explanation as to why Charles Charles and the aunts had the same last name despite having intimate relations with each other. Oh well. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.

Greek: I really hope that last scene was a sign that Frannie won’t come back next season. Hopefully Casey is stupid enough to let her move in for her final semester. Or maybe she could move in with Rusty and Dale because certainly they could come up with some great storyline with her and Dale butting heads. You can stream current episodes over at ABCFamily.com. You can also download Greek on iTunes.

Charm School with Ricki Lake: Why is everyone so eager to leave this show. There are very few things that would get me to drop out of a competition for $100,000 but we have already had two people quit and now there are two people fight over who wants to be sent home. You can also download Charm School with Ricki Lake on iTunes.

Rescue Me: Why couldn’t we have gotten a full episode of singing Shawn? When his brother showed up I was laughing hysterically. Hopefully he sticks around to nurse his brother back to health. But then again the episode was filled with plenty of non-musical hijacks like Black Shawn getting the hose turned on him adn Tommy and Janet getting caught. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.

Free Download of the Week: Arrested Development – Pilot (iTunes): iTunes is offering up a bunch of comedy episodes for free. If you download just one, get Arrested Development.

Video of the Week: I hate it when you hear about a movie and instantly know it is going to suck and then you see the trailer and think to yourself, “That just may be watchable.” Case in point: Bandslam. Yeah, there is no way this will be any good, but the trailer makes it look like it may be enjoyable. Plus it has Jason Street as an antagonist rival singer. And what is it with Vanessa Hudgens and cheesy seventies songs? First she samples The PlayersBaby Come Back for her debute single and in the movie she tackles Everything I Own by Bread. And surprisingly the pseudo-ska version in the trailer actually sounds listenable. Luckily I have until August to completely forget the movie ever exists.

Next Week Pick of the Week: Eli Stone, tonight at 10:00 on ABC: Last week we saw the end of Pushing Daisies and tonight starts the three week reprieve of Eli Stone before it heads off to DVD for all eternity. Or at least until networks start recycling late ’00 show ideas in ten to twenty years.

Friday, June 19, 2009

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Stargate Universe, Merlin, The Philanthropist, Tracy Ullman’s State of the Union, Locked Up Abroad, Stories from the Vault, and Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story.

- The latest Stargate staring I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’s Lou Diamond Philips is hitting The Sci-Fi Channel Syfy this fall and here is a sneak peek to whet your appetite:

- Coming this Sunday at 8:00 is the premiere of Merlin on NBC. Here is a preview:

- Also debuting next week on NBC is The Philanthropist Wednesday at 10:00. It looks interesting but I am not sure I can watch it because I have seen the lead completely naked, and as How I Met Your Mother showed me this season, once you seen a dude in all his glory, you can really look at him in anything again. And for all the ladies out there wondering, pick up the HBO series Rome. Actually everyone should pick up the show, because the full frontal male nudity aside, if I were to make a list of the best shows of the ’00, Rome would most likely crack the top ten. But anyways. Here is a preview of The Philanthropist:

- A new season of Locked Up Abroad is coming to the National Geographic Channel July 15. This season the show will feature people stuck in Iraq, Barbados, Ecuador, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, and India.

- Nurse Jackie isn’t the only show Showtime is renewing these days; Tracy Ullman’s State of the Union is getting a third season. Seven new episodes should hit the channel early 2010. Also Penn and Teller’s that will go unnamed will become Showtime’s longest running series returning for its seventh season Thursday June 25 at 10:00.

- Still not sure if I have the Smithsonian Channel, but I may want hunt it down by July 12 because that is the new season Stories from the Vault premieres which it hosted by Tom Cavanagh (Ed). Also coming to the Smithsonian Channel September 4 (Labor Day) is a two part documentary that tells the story of the Federal Writer’s Project of the 1930’s called Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story. So those that have the Smithsonian Channel, mark your calendar.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

“Weird Al” Yankovic has finally harnessed the internet, releasing songs as soon as he records them instead of waiting for a full album with some parodies becoming dated by time of the release. It started with last year’s Whatever You Like with four others to be released sometime this year. First up is a style parody of The Doors which actually features Ray Manzarek on the keyboard because Al thought it was funny thinking about Jim Morrison singing about Craigslist (not to be confused with the Backstreet Boys parody E-Bay). Supposedly the next song will be released as soon as next month.

It is nice that Kanye West says he is going back to rap and even co-produced Jay-Z’s D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) yet he is still releasing videos for his horrible auto-tune inspired album. And an odd choice to have Rihanna star in a video entitled Paranoid.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

If they gave away awards for best song titles, Ida Maria would land one for I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked. And that isn’t even the best lyric in the song as that sentiment is followed up by the line, “I like me so much better when you’re naked.” You won’t be able to resist chanting along when her band chimes in at the end of the song.

The rest of the Norwegians debut album Fortress ‘round My Heart is garage rock nirvana filled with quick and to the point songs (only one song goes past three and a half minutes) with power pop chords that are allowed to fuzz out; no pro tools or auto tune here as Maria has no problem letting her voice crack throughout the songs. The mood id set right from the opening with Oh My God. Another standout is the bouncy Louie which may or may not be a shout out to the original garage band song..

The drawback for Fortress ‘round My Heart is a lack of diversity; most songs follow the same template. And when she does deviate, slow songs like Keep Me Warm just don’t sound right for her voice until they turn up the guitars, just to turn down the volume in time for the next verse. And at a half an hour that garage rock theme can get tired during repeat listening. Not that the phrase I Like You so Much Better When You’re Naked will ever get tired saying.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

It seems every new television season there is a new show about doctors (or five) it is surprising it took so long for networks to deviate and have a medical show focusing on nurses. Now in the span of four months, we get three new shows that revolve around RN’s. Last week saw the debut of Nurse Jackie on Showtime, the fall sees NBC’s foray into the profession with Mercy, while TNT premieres Hawthorne which sets itself apart by having the lead have RN in her name. But really not much else.

Jada Pinkett Smith (Reign Over Me) is said title character who is the head nurse at Richmond Trinity and the show picks up on the one year anniversary of the death of her husband. We are not that privy as to how it happen, just bits and pieces leak out in the first couple episodes on how he died. But naturally it causes some strain between her and her daughter and mother-law (Joanna Cassidy; yes, the white one) as it did happen at the hospital.

Other staffers include Michael Vartan (Monster-in-Law) who is just as wooden as ever, not that the female patrons will care much as the Chief of Surgery. Smith’s right hand woman is Suleka Mather (The Net) who self proclaimed damaged good (we do get to find out why she thinks that in a did that really just happened moment). David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites) is your comic relief, which is kind of sexist being the lone male nurse on staff.

Rounding out the cast is Christina Moore (Mad TV) whose main purpose apparently is just there to be the object of Hirsh’s affection. In fact Vanessa Lengies (American Dreams) isn’t officially in the cast but gets much more screen time, and better storylines, in the first couple episodes than Moore as a rookie nurse. It did look like Moore was going to be a nurse that gives her patients a little too much TLC, but that seemed to be quickly dropped after first alluded to.

The show does start to be more entertaining during the second episode thanks to some infusion of humor and a pair of guest stars. Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Listen Up) is admitted after a brain aneurism who mistakes Smith as his wife. And Cloris Leachman (Dancing with the Star) as a cantankerous patient that newbie Lengies has to deal with.

Hawthorne airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on TNT. The show is preceded by The Wedding Day at 8:00 and followed by Saving Grace at 10:00. Check out a preview below:

Monday, June 15, 2009

Summer officially starts next week so I thought I would break out some “Summer” themed songs for this month’s lyrics quiz. As usual, place your guesses in the comment (or e-mail me), both artist and song title, and if you are correct I will un-bold the lyric. Now onto the quiz:

1. Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach. I feel it in the air. (The Boys of Summer - Don Henley; guessed by Tony)2. Around about this time the telephone blew its horn across the room. Scared little Annie clean out of her mind and I tell ya.3. Man we were killing time, we were young and restless. We needed to unwind. I guess nothing lasts forever. (Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams; guessed by Tony)4. When you’re on a holiday, you can’t find the words to say all the things that come to you. And I want to feel it too. (Island in the Sun - Weezer; guessed by Tony)5. Wandered through the valley of the shadow of the dead stumbled round this old sundial, there these words I read.6. The weather is hot and girls are dressing less and checking out the fellas to tell them who’s best. (Summertime - D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; guessed by Rebekah)7. Two peas in the same pod, yes we are. Or have I read too much fiction?8. Blowing through the jasmine in mind. (Summer Breeze - Seals and Croft; guessed by Rebekah)9. The Midwest farmer’s daughters really make you feel alright. (California Girls - The Beach Boys; guessed by Tony)10. When I’m a walking, I strut my stuff. (Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes; guessed by Tony)11. In the shade of willow tree, creeps are crawling over me. Over me and over you. (Staring at the Sun - U2; guessed by Rebekah)12. You come from Georgia where the peaches grow. They drink lemonade and speak real slow.13. Well she’s deceiving me, it cuts my security. She’s got control of me. (Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart; guessed by Tony)14. Whenever I’m with him something inside is still burning and I’m filled with desire.15. Twenty-five years ago they spoke out and they broke out of recession and oppression.16. See me once, see the way I feel. Don’t discard me just because you think I mean you harm. (Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me - Elton John; guessed by Tony)17. My friends the communist holds meeting in his office. I can’t afford his gas. So I’m stuck here watching TV.(Soak up the Sun - Sheyrl Crow; guessed by Rebekah)18. Well the streetlights shine down on Blessing Avenue. Lovers they walk by, holding hands two by two. (Girls in Their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen; guessed by Tony)19. It’s the morning and just we two. I’ll stay with you darling now, I’ll stay with you till my seas are dried up. (Sunshine of Your Love - Cream; guessed by Rebekah)20. When the weather’s right you got women, you got women on your mind. Have a drink, hav a drive, go out and see what you can find. (In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry; guessed by Rebekah)21. Little darling, their smiles are returning to their faces. (Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles; guessed by Rebekah)22. Now every time I go for the mailbox I have to hold myself down. (Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves; guessed by Rebekah)23. All around, people looking half dead. Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head. (Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful; guessed by Rebekah)24. The shadows are on the darker side. Behind those doors, it's a wilder ride.25. Making love out by the lake to our favorite song. Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking about tomorrow. (All Summer Long - Kid Rock; guessed by Tony)

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Last season of Saving Grace ended with the shocking execution of Leon Cooley despite Grace’s decision to help try to help clear his name. Equally shocking was, much like when Grace got a second chance when she killed Cooley, she herself was a victim of someone who ended up getting a second chance for themselves so instead it ended up being just a dream for Grace, and for some reason Rhetta.

The third season opens up with Grace trying to get in contact with the person from the dream who naturally is into something bad that Grace and her boys investigate. There is also a subplot with Grace and Ham getting caught in a precarious position which leads to a pretty funny scene at the end of the episode.

Later this season F. Murray Abraham shows up as a co-worker of Earl who conspicuously always wears black and arrives with a bolt of lightning and tries to poach Grace for his cliental when Grace runs into one of his former assignments. For a preview of tonight’s episode, check out the clip below:

Saving Grace airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on TNT and is preceeded by new shows Wedding Day at 8:00 and Hawthorne at 9:00 (check back later for a preview of the series). You can stream current episodes of the show over at TNT.tv. You can also download Saving Grace on iTunes or on Amazon Video on Demand (see below):